


Shimmering

by novocaine_sea



Series: 12 Months of Semi Eita [5]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Canon Compliant, Fantasy, M/M, MerMay, Mermaids, True Love's Kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-22
Updated: 2019-05-22
Packaged: 2020-03-09 18:09:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18922348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/novocaine_sea/pseuds/novocaine_sea
Summary: A splash to his left pulls Semi from his reverie and he opens his eyes to investigate. Only a couple inches from his face he sees cerulean eyes and the top half of a head, blonde locks shimmering from the sunlight and pooling around him. Semi startles a little, flailing as he hadn’t expected somebody to be so close and gazing at him with such intensity. The person gets equally as spooked at getting caught and flips away, tail slapping against the water and spraying a mist in Semi’s face.Wait, tail?





	Shimmering

Sand scratches Semi’s face as he dives for the volleyball, which lands an inch away from his closed fist. He thought he’d had it and slams his fist down angrily while coughing up the tiny grains that had gotten into his mouth. There’s maniacal laughter coming from over his shoulder and Semi throws a glare in that direction, knowing Tendou likely won’t be fazed by such a look. 

“I didn’t see you diving to get it!” Semi growls as he stands up, brushing all the sand from his body. Across the net, Kawanishi and Shirabu are smirking at him, completely smug at the set-up they’d successfully achieved.

Tendou holds up both hands when he shrugs, “It was nowhere near me. You should know not to go for the dumps, SemiSemi! You’re supposed to be a setter!”

Semi really wishes he could throw the sand at him, but he knows that Reon would give him a disappointed look and he refuses to be the only one acting like a child today. Everybody had shockingly been on their best behavior all day and Semi would be damned if he’s the only one seen throwing a temper tantrum. 

Summer had rolled in like a train; horn blazing, bringing the heat with it. Practice had become increasingly brutal and any breaks they have, they always spend them at the beach. There’s always the promise of beach volleyball, because Ushijima and Shirabu won’t agree to come otherwise, but for everybody else the promise of the ocean and ice cream after is too great to pass up. 

Admittedly, Semi’s ideal beach day, does not involve playing volleyball and getting sunburned. According to Tendou, his cheeks are already as red as can be, even after applying copious amounts of sunscreen. But it’s the price he pays for wanting to go to the beach and spend time with his friends, no matter how difficult they may be. 

“You know what? Fuck this. I’m going in the water,” Semi turns on his heel to head towards the waves crashing on the shore, kicking up sand as he goes. 

“Semi-san! We can’t play without the eighth person!” Goshiki calls out, a whine in his tone, but Semi doesn’t turn back. In fact, he shows off a little by diving into the waves when the water is deep enough. At least he gets all the sand off his body, but he can’t do much for those tickling the crevices of his teeth.

Resurfacing, he looks back to his friends and teammates, who are either charging towards the water or settling back on their towels now that he’d ruined their game. Thankfully, they keep their distance, knowing from experience that it’s best to let Semi cool off rather than keep poking him. (Even if Tendou chooses the latter more often than not).

Semi swims out until he’s deep enough where he can swim and float properly. He can see how the rays from the sun reflect off the water, making it look like God herself is looking down at him. At least  _ someone  _ is looking out for him. The sun warms him, but the water at his back is enough for Semi to forgive the horrible sunburn he’s going to have once he reemerges. The water had always been calming to him, and he supposes in a past life he may have been a fisherman, or maybe even a pirate. He definitely wouldn’t mind a life at sea; he loves being in the water, around water, everything. Maybe he should have been a swimmer.

But being on the volleyball team... he wouldn’t change that. Perhaps he’d change  _ how _ the team is made up, but they’re still his team and he feels like he couldn’t have gotten this far in high school without them. Semi can’t imagine going forward without them and not being with Yamagata, Reon, Ushijima and even Tendou. He’s spent the most time with them the past three years, and he knows it’s not worth dwelling on the fact that some day they won’t be a team, but he can’t help it. Especially since he’s on the sidelines most of the time...

A splash to his left pulls Semi from his reverie and he opens his eyes to investigate. Only a couple inches from his face he sees cerulean eyes and the top half of a head, blonde locks shimmering from the sunlight and pooling around him. Semi startles a little, flailing as he hadn’t expected somebody to be so close and gazing at him with such intensity. The person gets equally as spooked at getting caught and flips away, tail slapping against the water and spraying a mist in Semi’s face.

Wait, tail?

Semi has to do a double take, unsure if he’d seen correctly. Surely that wasn’t a human with a tail, right? That’s crazy. Just the thought makes Semi scoff to himself.

Semi searches the open water to see what direction they may have gone in, but it’s too late. They’re likely already out too deep. Or maybe it’s just Semi’s imagination. He  _ is _ kind of warm, maybe all the sun is finally starting to get to him.

But there’s this feeling deep in his bones that he cannot seem to shake, one telling him that what just happened was real. There’s somebody out there with a  _ tail _ and they’d been staring at him like they’d never seen somebody quite like him before. Maybe they hadn’t. 

Semi starts to swim in the direction that they’d gone in, or he thought they’d gone in. If he squints, he can make out water rippling in the distance. He doesn’t think about the possibility that he’s losing sight of his friends behind him, only focuses on moving forward. He loses track of time, as he often does while in the water, and before he knows it he’s in a secluded cove of some sorts. There’s large, grayish rocks surrounding him except for the mouth of the bay, and one rock opens into the mouth of a cave. Semi can tell that the water gets deeper inside of the cave and he stays near the shoreline, the sun giving the spotlight to the cave at this moment.

“Hello?” He foolishly calls out. He’s not sure if he’s in the right space, if that... person had even come here. Checking his surroundings to make sure that he’s truly alone, Semi inches closer out of curiosity, waiting for something,  _ anything  _ to appear. 

There’s a small rippling in the water, coming from inside the cove. Semi directs his attention to the mouth of the entrance to the small cave that’s there and he blinks as he sees two pairs of eyes popping up from the water. He recognizes the blue ones from earlier, but the warm brown ones are new. The second person(?) has a messy head of brown hair, though his eyes are not as curious as the blue ones. In fact, they look more angry than their companion’s, and it makes Semi take a step back.

“Uh, hi?” He tries again, wanting to see if they’ll talk to him. “I’m sorry for startling you earlier, didn’t expect you to be so close.” He laughs quietly, wanting to lighten the mood.

The blonde lifts some more out of the water, revealing their whole face now. It seems the brunette doesn’t want them to do that, but the blonde keeps coming forward, almost like he’s drawn by a siren song. Semi grows increasingly nervous, unsure what’s about to happen as the blonde lifts themself further and further out of the water. Semi doesn’t know what to expect, unsure if they’re even human or not. Some part of him  _ hopes _ there’s swim trunks on them but that’s not what Semi gets.

Instead, the blonde lifts himself from the water to reveal a smooth chest and... a tail. The one Semi thought he’d imagined. It shimmers in the sunlight, looking almost holographic, made up of yellows and purples, though when they mix they don’t form an ugly brown like Semi would have thought. They look regal as they lay out for him, the curiosity in baby blues almost taking on a knowing aura as well. They’re well aware of how beautiful they are, as if they’re told every day. Semi’s in awe as he gazes at this... creature, unsure of how he should refer to them as. Semi thinks the best definition is  _ mermaid _ , the ones from the myths and fairytales.

“Beautiful...” He steps closer again, wanting to see up close. The tail flops gracefully against the rock as the blonde lays out, almost showing off. Their head is tilted to the side, looking at Semi with as much fascination as he looks at them. “I didn’t think you were real...”

Unthinkingly, Semi reaches out a hand to glide it along his tail, wanting to know what it feels like. Is it scaly? Is it soft? Slimy? He burns with the desire to know, but he never gets there. Before he can even lay his hand down, the world is blanketed in emerald and there’s a searing pain at his cheek, which knocks him back a little. Semi blinks the stars from his eyes and cups his cheek as he listens to a soft melodic tune that is carried by the wind. It takes him a moment, in his raddled brain, to realize the mermaids (mermen?) are speaking to each other, the blonde seemingly scolding the brunette while the brunette looks smug. 

The brunette’s tail sways behind them, splashing harshly against the water, almost like a cat’s when it’s angry. Semi knows now that touching this merman’s tail is a no go, lest he wanna get slapped in the face again. It’s still stinging, and his ears are ringing a little bit but for the most part Semi has gotten himself under control. 

“Sorry...” Semi murmurs and rubs his cheek again. He looks around before his eyes are drawn back to the two mermen, completely enraptured by the one with the yellow-purple tail. They’re leaning back on their elbows, smiling now, beckoning him forward with the flap of their tail. Semi’s nervous, glancing over to their friend but eventually steps forward, water pooling around his feet as he enters the oceans. The water is colder in this area, direct sunlight not hitting it and he shivers. 

The merman lifts their hand as Semi stands close again, though his own hands are kept to himself. A tender touch caresses his cheek and Semi stares at the merman in shock as his skin begins to tingle and the pain fades. The touch lingers before it is gone and the blonde presses a finger to his lips, a silent request for Semi to remain quiet about this. Semi nods, still in a daze of awe. He barely catches both mermaids flipping gracefully back into the water, deep into the cove, leaving Semi to truly wonder if the heat had gotten to him and he was just hallucinating all of this.

Semi is drawn to this place after that first interaction. He sneaks away from school whenever he can to the beach to see the mermen. Really, he only wants to see the blonde, and that’s who usually comes out to greet him. He can see in the distance that the brunette lingers, always keeping a watchful eye on Semi and the blonde. Semi doesn’t make the mistake of trying to touch the blonde’s tail again; the only time the two touch is when the blonde initiates contact. Sometimes there are others too; there’s another with blue eyes, though they’re more stormy than the blonde’s and their tail is a deep indigo. There’s one with wild hair, seaweed somehow always caught between the white-gray strands, tail a shimmering gold just like their eyes. This one is always trying to get Semi in trouble with the brunette, but luckily the one with the indigo tail always reels them in and gets them under control. 

“Can you understand me?” Semi asks one day. The blonde giggles whenever he speaks, probably thinking he sounds funny, whereas Semi cannot get enough of the mellifluous sound that comes from the other’s mouth. Semi enjoys seeing them smile, as his teeth are a little jagged, most likely used for ripping into fish that they catch. It’s endearing, knowing all their differences yet they can kind of communicate.

The blonde eventually nods in answer to Semi’s question and it breathes relief through Semi’s veins. At least he hasn’t been talking to them without them understanding. 

“I wish I knew your name...” Semi sighs and looks at the waves crashing in the distance. The blonde perks up and they grab both of Semi’s hands, beginning to drag him backwards into the water with him. 

“Hey, wait, I’m in my uniform!” He doesn’t know how he’s going to explain why he’s all wet and smelling of the ocean, but the blonde is adamant on getting Semi underwater and soon they are submerged, the blonde holding Semi’s face with a big grin.

“Akinori...” The blonde breathes out, completely fluid and clear. Semi’s lips part as they float under water. Gone is the chirping but actual, clear  _ words _ . At least, one word. A name.  _ Akinori _ .

“Amazing...” Semi tries to say but gets a mouthful of water, Akinori laughing again as Semi resurfaces to spit out the salty seawater. The blonde pokes their eyes up out of the water, looking cheeky before they dash away and out of sight. Semi just sighs, but the ghost of smile tilts his lips upwards. Akinori...

Whenever Semi goes down to the beach to spend time with Akinori, he’s greeted with a new trick. Whether it’s Akinori blowing bubbles or showing Semi how many times they can flip in the air before diving back into the water, Semi is never less than amazed. He claps enthusiastically from his perch on a rock that only gets wet whenever Akinori pushes the wave against it. They’re being nice today, allowing Semi to remain dry now that the nights are cooling down some. It’s the end of summer now and Semi doesn’t know what he’s going to do when he can’t visit Akinori every day. 

Especially with the end of his third year coming up in a few months, he’s going to have to leave Akinori behind.

“That was impressive,” Semi says with a smile as Akinori swims to him after doing a double flip in the air. They lay their arms on the rock, leaning their head against it and gazing up at Semi adoringly. Semi can’t help but run his fingers through their blonde locks, knowing the brunette (who’s name is Haruki, as he learned harshly) has left them alone. It’d taken a while, but they’d come to trust Semi, which Semi was grateful for.

Akinori smacks their tail against the water in thanks and nuzzles into Semi’s hand, still keeping their eyes trained on Semi’s face. Semi is taken by the intense blue of their eyes, as always. It’s one of the many things that reminds Semi they’re not quiet human, galaxies dancing within the irises, a more vibrant color than any human’s. They pull Semi down and in, both sets of eyes slipping shut. Before they know it, their lips are meeting, tasting like salt, and the world around them shimmers and explodes in light. The kiss is intense despite their lips only brushing. Semi’s heart races and he holds onto Akinori’s head, heads bobbing in time with the waves.

When he pulls back, he’s almost blinded, the source of light being Akinori. The merman looks down at their arms, blinking in confusion and then up at Semi, tilting their head to the side.

“Akinori...” Semi breathes, reaching to touch him. He pulls back when suddenly the world goes dark again, letting his eyes adjust. He gasps when he sees Akinori in full.

Gone is the beautiful purples and yellows that Semi had come to love; in its place are a set of legs, veins visible through translucent skin. 

“Holy shit...” He gasps and looks back to Akinori, who is kicking their legs in shock like a baby deer. They’re completely naked but neither mind the nudity, too shocked by the  _ legs  _ where a tail had just been.

“I’m...” Akinori speaks, clear as day, just like Semi. His voice is even more charming above water, where the ocean doesn’t mute it. He covers his mouth and his eyes shimmer with tears as he looks at Semi. “Human...”

“Yeah...” Semi doesn’t know what to do or say. But Akinori is breaking out into a smile, the initial shock replaced with joy, joy that they are now one of a kind, that they can communicate easily. They don’t understand what caused it, their love still unbeknownst to them. They’ll figure it out slowly, together.

**Author's Note:**

> Talk to me about Semi on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/novocaine_sea)


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